Closure means for discharge openings of plumbing fixtures



L.. H. sTEAo 1,704,023

CLOSURB MEANS FOR DISCHARGE OPHNINGS OF PLUlIBiNG FIXTURES March 5, 1929.

Filed July 5, 1927 gNr/ENToR. ew/5 amm ATTO 'EYS Patented Mar. 5,

[UNITED s'iArEfS PATENT oFFiCnQ CLOSURE MEANS FOR DISCHARGE OPENINGS OF PLUMBING FIXTURES. i

` Application flied iaiy.5,

and inexpensive to manu.factureJ` which simpleand positive in operation, and whose stopper member is. not 'so easily dislodged 4or removed fromthe discharge opening as to cause danger of misplaceinent thereof, while said stopper member may readily be moved. Yinto open or closed position by simple manual operation, and upon applicationof somewhat greater force may be entirely removed from the discharge opening 'so as to permit cleany ing thereof. v A.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closurevmeans which is. of simple construction and provides for maximum freedom of passage of watentherethi'ough when* in openposition, and presents a ininimumopportunity forlodgement of foreign material therein which woulditend to obstruct the passage of waterandinterfere with the operation of the stopper. f 4 y The closuremeans of my 4invention coinprises essentially, in combination with the usual outlet nipplevordrain pipe provided with a bevelled.` seat "at its upper end, a stopper or closure member of metal or other material, suitablyshaped and provided with ya bevelledY edge adapted to engage said seat on. the discharge nipple, and suitable resilient friction means tending tofholdsaid stopper in any positionto which vit may be moved. In a preferred `iorm oi' construction,

the stopper is provided ywithv resilient `lriction means projecting'downwai'dly `therefrom while leaving openings between or through said resilient means for passage of water when theclosure member is yraised out of yengagement with said seat, said reki silient means frictionally engaging theeinterior of the discharge nipple so estoresiliently resist movement of `the closuremem-` ber and hold the saine in any position to ywhich it is moved. preferablyrfurther "provided withk suitable handle means on the k,top of said closure ineinber for facilitating manual niovenienttheref of. The invention furtherpreferably coinpriscs means onV said resilient means cooperating with means on said discharge nipple for limiting upward movement of stopper so as to prevent complete removal of the stopper The closure member 1927'.4 serial ive. 203,405.

by the force ordinarily appliedthereto in I y opening vthe saine,. while permitting L the stopper to be completelyremoved by application of a soinewhatgreater force thereto.

` f'Tlie accompanying,drawings illustrate emb'odiments fof my invention and y referring thereto-vi i i y closure `means according to my invention5 with the stopper inclos'ed position. y

FigQ is alplanjview thereof. Fig. r3 is an inverted horizontal section'oiI the stopper online 3-3 in Fig. l. n e

`l? ig. l .is aperspective view of the stopper removed rfrom the dischargeopeningy .In llig.r l of the drawings thelower portion .of a' wash basin is indicated atl,y said wash` Fig. l is a verticalsection of afforniof 5" is a vertiealsection ofxthefupper y portion oit the stopper on line 5-5 in FigfQ.'

basin being provided with the usual discharge I opening 2 within which ismounted the verti-k cal walled" discharge nipple 3 which is ordinarily flaredy at itsupper end as indicated l to engageabevelled seat 5 around the y "discharge opening. `The discharge nipple 1 threaded at its llower end vand is held in water tight engagement'with the basin by means of nut washer 7 of rubber ory suitablepa cking ymaterial being interposed between the nut and the'lower face of the basin. The drain pipeor `dischargepipe Sis alsosecured to the lower part of thethreaded portion of nipple 3said drain pipe leading to'fsuitable means for conducting awaythe waste vwater from the basin.

In wash' basins and certain other types of? r`plumbingfixtures overflow openings are pro'- v receptacleof the fixture, and an overflow pas- Sageis formed in the rearr portion of thebaslin or other fixture as'indicated` at l0. said passa ge communicatingatits upper end with said overiiow.y openings and at its lower end with the discharge yopening `2 shown.

y `The discharge nipple 8 Yiforsuch a fiiiture isL n provided with an Openingor Vcut out portion 11 in its side wall, said nipple being so mount videdsoinewliat below the top of the' water alsa proviffledf with a bevelled seat 13 at its upper end. The stopper-itself comprises a stopper or closure member l5 usually of circular shape to conform to the shape of the discharge nipple and having a bevelled edge 16 engaging seat 13 to provide a substantially water tight closure. rlhe stopper is further provided with handle means or knob 17 projecting,upwardly from the top thereof and being either formed integrally therewith or secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Y The resilient frictionmeans may comprise a plurality of resilient arms or lingers 2O formed integrally with the closure member 15 or `secured thereto iii any suitable manner and extending downwardly in close engagement with the interior of `discharge nipple These resilient members n'iay be free at their lower ends as shown in Figsl l, 4 and 6 or they may be secured at their lower ends. For eX- ample a ring or band 22 may be provided at the lower ends of said members as in Fig. 7, said ring being secured thereto in any suitable manner or formed integrally therewith. When this latter construction is employed the resilient members 20 are preferably bowed outward slightly at their central portions so as to provide the necessary resilient friotional engagement with the wall of the discharge i nipple. Y

Suitable meansare provided on one or more of the resilient friction members for prevent-v ing complete removal of the stopper by the force ordinarily applied thereto in opening .the samewhile `permitting the stopper toghe completely removed by application of a considerably greaterV force particularly if such force is applied suddenly. Such means may comprise for example a small lug or projection 23 formed upon one of the friction members 20, the stopper being inserted in such position als to cause said projection to .engage the opening or recessed portion ll in the discharge nipple. It will bc understood that this projection may readily be made of such Vdimensions as to prevent removal of the stopper on ordinary operation thereof, due to engagement with theupper edgeof opening l1, while permittingthe same tothe pulled upwardly beyond this point upon sudden application of a stronger vupward force, due to the resiliency of tire member 20. It will begunderstood that any form of opening or recessed j means in the wall of discharge Vnipple 3 will serve the purpose of enga ging the projection Q3 to retain the stopper in position and in cases where the discharge nipple is notI ordinarily provided withan opening l1 for communication with the overflow passage, a similar opening or other cut out portioninay `be lespecially provided therein for the purp pose above mentioned.

The 4manner of operation of the above described stopper will be` apparent from the drawings and the foregoing description, The

stopper may be removed to closed position as shown in Fig. l or to open position as shown in Fig. 6, or to any intermediate position and will be held in any raised position by frictional engagement of the resilient members 2O f with the interior of nipple 3. When the closure member is in raised position relatively free passage of the water is permitted' through the openings 25 between the resilient members 20. It will be noted that the number of moving parts is reduced toa minimum and there is therefore little opportunity for lodgement ofiforeign matter in or around the stopper, suoli as occurs vwith cer-V out of engagement with said seat, and a plurality of resilient friotion'vmeinbers secured to said stopper member `and projecting therefrom into said passagefand substantially parr- `alle] to the walls,thereofthroughout their length, said friction `members beingfree Lat their lower ends and fric-tionally engaging the walls of the ,passage lthroinghout substan- Itially their `entire length so as to holdy said stoppermember in any vposition to which it maybe moved with respect to said seat.

2. A closure means for the discharge opening of a plumbing fixture comprising, in coinbination Awith substantially vertical walled dischargepipe having a. bevelled seata-t its upper end, stopper member movable vertically downwardly into vengagement with said seat or upwardly out of such engagen'ient,

l and `a plurality of resilient friction members secured to said stopper member and projecting downwardly therefromwithin said passage, said friction members .extending substantially parallel to and in frictional engagement with the inside of said pi Je throughout substantially their entire lengt so as to hold said stopper member in anyposition to which it may be moved. j

j 3. A device comprising vin ,combination with a. discharge nipple of a plumbing fixture `having a bevelled seat at its upper end and a cut out portion in its side wall, a. stopper coinprisinga closure member movable into or ,out

vof engagement with saidseat anda plurality of resilient'friction members secured to said closure member and frictionally engaging the interiorof said nipple, and a projection on onejof said friction members engaging said cut out portion to limit the movement of said stopper.

et. A devicecomprising, in combination ian , ture having a bevelled seat at its upper end,

e closure member movable into or out of engagement with szud seat and a plurality of resilient' friction members secured to said closure member and frict-ionally engaging the friction members and the` wall of seidnipf plebeing provided With interengaging projecting and recessed meansrzidapted tolimt 10 movement of the closure member. f y

In testimony whereof I have hereuntosubscribed my name JLhis 25th day of June 1927.

- LEWIS I-I. STEAD. 

